Multiple housing rolling mill

ABSTRACT

A multiple housing rolling mill for obtaining shaped roll bars such as sector-shaped cores for electric cables including a rolling unit comprising two rollers having shaped grooves in the peripheral surface thereof, which have cross sections corresponding to opposite sections of the outline of the rolled product to be obtained, and at least a pair of rollers with rotation axis at right angles to said two rollers. Grooves in the said pair of rollers are shaped so as to correspond to remaining opposite sections of the outline of the rolled bar.

United States Patent Properzi 54] MULTIPLE HOUSING ROLLING MILL [72] Inventor: Ilario Properzi, Via Vittor Pisani 8,

Milan Italy [22] Filed: May 26, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 56,990

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 27, 1969 ltaly ..17403 N69 [52] US. Cl. ..72/227, 72/234 [51] Int. Cl. ..B2lb 41/00, B21b 13/08 [58] Field of Search ..72/226, 227, 234, 238, 239,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1926 Lange et a1. ..72/234 4/1940 Smitmans ..72/249 X [451 July 18, 1972 1,290,943 I 1/1919 Edwards ..72/227 3,098,404 7/1963 Morath et a1. ....72/234 X 1,735,746 11/1929 Geer ..72/237 3,380,278 4/1968 Dilling.... .....72/224 3,400,566 9/1968 Gauer ..72/199 Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney-Guido Modiano and Albert Josif ABSTRACT A multiple housing rolling mill for obtaining shaped roll bars such as sector-shaped cores for electric cables including a rolling unit comprising two rollers having shaped grooves in the peripheral surface thereof, which have cross sections corresponding to opposite sections of the outline of the rolled product to be obtained, and at least a pair of rollers with rotation axis at right angles to said two rollers. Grooves in the said pair of rollers are shaped so as to correspond to remaining opposite sections of the outline of the rolled bar.

4 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JUL18|972 3.677.056

SHEET 1 OF 4 INVENTOR.

(LARIO PROPERZI PATENTED JUL] 8 I972 SHEEI 2 [IF 4 I NVENTOR.

ILARIO PIQOPERZI AGENT PATENTED JUL] 8 I972 SHEET 3 [IF 4 9w mm Q mm 9n INVENTOR.

ILARIO PROPER?! MULTIPLE HOUSING ROLLING MILL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multiple housing rolling mill for obtaining shaped roll bars, particularly for electric cables with sector-shaped cores.

Shaped bars or wires, for example the bars intended to form electric cables with sector shaped cores, are conventionally obtained by subjecting the bar of round section produced by a rolling mill to successive drawing operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is that of simplifying and speeding up in a considerable manner the process of fabrication of shaped bars or wires, particularly for the formation of electric cables with sector shaped cores, offering the possibility of eliminating or reducing to a minimum the drawing phases.

Another important object of the invention is that of providing a multiple housing rolling mill by means of which it is possible to obtain shaped bars or wires with section variable at will, within certain limits, both as regards shape and transversal dimensions.

These and still further objects are attained by the multiple housing rolling mill according to the invention which comprises, at its end portion, at least one rolling assembly in which two parallel rolls are mounted, respective grooves in said rolls having sections corresponding to opposing sections of the outline of the rolled product to be obtained, at least one pair of guide and rolling rollers preferably parallel one to the other and substantially perpendicular to the axes of said rolls, said rollers being disposed on the one and other side of the bar or wire being worked, and being provided with grooves which, at least in part, correspond to remaining opposing sections of the outline of the product to be obtained, and guide means between said rollers and said rolls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better appear from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a multiple housing rolling mill according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic frontal view of a part of the rolling mill according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through two rolling assemblies of the rolling mill according to the invention, taken along the rolling axis;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through a rolling assembly according to the invention, taken on a plane perpendicular to the rolling axis;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective detailed view of the lateral rolling rollers;

FIG. 5 is a partially full and partially sectional view of the detail in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a lateral view of a rolling assembly according to the invention, seen from the feed side;

FIGS. 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, are a transversal diagrammatic sectional view of the rolling sequence for obtaining a bar for electric cables with sector shaped cores;

FIG. 8 is a transversal sectional view of a bar for cables with sector shaped cores, obtainable by the rolling mill according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional transversal view of a bar for cables with sector-shaped cores.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to said FIGS., the multiple housing rolling mill according to the invention comprises three or more rolling units or assemblies, 1, 2 and 3 of particular structure, disposed on the bed 4 alongside the normal rolling units or assemblies 5, towards the outlet end of the rolling mill.

Preferably the multiple housing rolling mill is of the type with removable assemblies, mounted dovetailed on lower guides 6 and slidable on the same guides by means of suitable movement means, such as for example a male and female thread device.

The rolling assemblies may be of the type having three rolls disposed with their axes at to each other, or of the type having two opposing rolls.

The rolling assemblies 1, 2 and 3 consist of box-like structures 7 inside each of which are mounted two working rolls 8 and 9 of substantially horizontal axes. As is clearly shown in FIG. 3, the rolls 8 and 9 are mounted on respective shafts 10, ll of horizontal axes, which are kinematically connected together by means of gears 12 and 13. One of the two shafts, for example the shaft 10, projects backwards for a length 10a which is inserted in a corresponding counter member connected to motor means. Further, one of the two shafts I0, 11 can be moved upwards or downwards parallel to itself, for adjusting the distance between the rolls 8 and 9. In the assembly shown in FIG. 3 wedge sliders 14 are provided by moving which it is possible to adjust the level of the shaft 11, which is constantly thrust downwards by the action of springs 15 mounted between the bearings 16 of the shafts l0 and l l.

The rolls 8 and 9 are removably mounted on the shafts 10 and 11 and are fixed by means of bushes 17 which, in their turn, are locked by flanges l8 screwed onto the terminal portions of said shafts l0 and l I. As visible from the drawings the rolls 8 and 9 have peripheral grooves defining a rounded portion and a V-like portion opposite thereto. Between the rolls there is therefore defined a passage aperture with a substantially sector-like shape.

The rolling assemblies 1, 2 and 3, are provided at their feed side with corresponding pairs of guiding rollers 19 which roll the bar worked by the rolling mill on its sides. Each pair of rollers 19 is mounted inside a housing 20 (FIG. 4) which, in its turn, may be moved along a corresponding prismatic channel 200 formed in the horizontal direction on the feed side. The rollers 19 are mounted with vertical axes.

The rollers 19 are suitably grooved at 19a in order to guide and roll the bar advancing into the rolling mill. Each roller 19 is rotatably mounted on a supporting pivot 21, with the interpositioning of bearings 21a (FIG. 5), said pivot projecting from said roller with end prismatic sections which are inserted into respective guide slots 22 formed in the housing 20.

The ends of the pivots 21 are suitably fixed by means of screws 23. More precisely one pivot is fixed at 24 (FIG. 5) to the bottom of the housing 20, while the other pivot is fixed at 25 to a fork-like member 26 whose branches are rotatably mounted in the guides 22. 1

To the central part of the fork 26 is rotatably fixed the extremity 27a of a threaded spindle member 27 provided axially with a prismatic cavity 27b.

Said threaded member 27 is screwed into a threaded hole 28 contained in the bottom 29 fixed to the housing 20 with screws 29a. A sleeve 30 is rigid with said bottom 29 and has a threaded part 30a onto which another sleeve 31 is threaded which comprises a flange 31a. This latter is rotatably held between two plates 32 connected together by screws 32a so as to form a single plate-like block which, in its turn, is fixed to the side of the box-like structure 7 by means of four screws 32b. The threaded sleeve 31 terminates with a polygonal portion 31b and is provided with a vemier 31c fixed with a dowel and comprising a graduation which is read relative to a pointer on the external plate 32.

One polygonal end 33a of a pivot 33 is inserted into the polygonal hole 27b of the member 27, so that it can slide axially in a relative manner, said pivot passing through the sleeves 30, 31 and having its other end 33b, also of polygonal section, projecting outwards. The part relative to said end 33b is of greater section than the remaining parts so as to form a projection which strikes against the sleeve 31. A flange 330 on the pivot 33 adheres to this so that said pivot may rotate about its own axis but cannot move axially with respect to the sleeve 31.

A vernier 33d (fixed with a dowel) is mounted on the end 33b and its graduation is read relative to a pointer on the sleeve 31.

By acting with a key on the polygonal end 31b the sleeve 31 is made to rotate, and hence because of the engagement between the threaded parts the sleeve 30 moves axially, or rather the housing 20 which is rigid with it (by way of the head 29). By acting instead with a key on the polygonal end 33b, the pivot 33 is made to rotate and with it the member 27 (because of the engagement between the hole 27b and the end 33a).

The member 28, engaged in the threaded hole 28, is obliged to move axially so causing an analogous movement of the fork 26 so as to make the corresponding roller 19 approach or withdraw from the other roller, while there is an axial sliding of the end 33a in the hole 27b.

The housing 20 is held in the channel 20a by plates 20b screwed onto the feed side of the structure 7.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, in the rolling assemblies 1, 2 and 3, fixed guides 34 are mounted between the rollers 19 and the rolls 8, 9 and other fixed guides 35 between said rolls 8, 9 and the outlet. Said fixed guides 34, 35 consist of two half bearings which are connected together so as to form a shaped passage hole.

In the examples shown, the rollers 19 of the assemblies 1 and 2 serve only as guides, while those of assembly 3 serve as a guide and for the lateral rolling.

FIGS. 7a to 7f show the sequence of operations which produce a bar with a transversal section shaped as indicated in F IG. 8, for the production of cables with sector shaped cores whose constituent members comprise the transversal section shown in FIG. 9. Said figures show the angle A formed between the converging sections, the angle in the case illustrated being 120. As is known, by uniting three bars of the type shown in FIG. 9 and placing insulating material between them, three phase electric cables with sector shaped cores are obtained. It is evident that the angle A may vary as required. For example this angle may be 90, in which case the cables with sector-shaped cores will consist of four members joined together.

The traditional rolling mill for wire rods is arranged by removing a certain number of terminal assemblies 5 and then mounting the three assemblies 1, 2 and 3 one after the other. These latter assemblies are arranged on the bed 6 in a suitable zone in relation to the final section of the laminated bar which it is desired to obtain.

In the assembly 1 the rollers 19 comprise grooves shaped as in FIG. 70, so as to shape the rolled bar 34 produced by the latter assembly 5. The rolls 8 and 9 of the assembly 1 comprise grooves shaped as shown in FIG. 7b, so as to roll the bar 34 removing the portions 340 and 34b. As shown in FIG. 7b the rolls 8 and 9 act only on a portion of the outline of the bar.

Successively the bar 34 passes through rollers 19 of the assembly 2 with grooves shaped as in FIG. 70, so as to shape and guide the bar. The rolls 8 and 9 of assembly 2 comprise grooves shaped as in FIG. 7d because of which the bar 34 is rolled with elimination of the portions 340 and 34d.

The rollers 19 of the terminal assembly 3 in addition to guiding the bar 34 also roll it laterally, being provided with grooves shaped as shown in FIG. 70. In this manner the lateral sharp edges 34e are eliminated from the bar 34. The rolls 8 and 9 of said assembly 3 comprise grooves shaped as in FIG. 7f such that the portions 34f and 34g of the bar 34 are rolled. At the outlet of assembly 3 a bar is thus obtained whose section is shown in FIG. 8. This section is very close to the ideal section shown in FIG. 9.

In order to obtain this latter the bar 34 can be subjected to a drawing operation which removes an approximately uniform layer from the whole of the profile of the section of FIG. 8. Alternatively, the section of FIG. 9 may be obtained directly by the rolling mill of the invention, by providing further rolling assemblies similar to assembly 3.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the rolling mill according to the invention is clear.

(A An After having suitably adjusted the housing 20 carrying the rollers 19 so as to obtain perfect alignment of said rollers and the rolls, the rolling mill may produce continuously a shaped bar which at the outlet has a section similar to that of FIG. 8. The adjustment of the distance between the rollers 19 of each pair of rollers is made by rotating in one direction or the other the pivot 33 (by acting on the polygonal end 33b) so as to move the fork 26 and the corresponding roller 19 along the guides 22. This movement can be read on the vernier 33a. Alignment with the rolling axis is obtained by rotating in one direction or the other the sleeve 31 (by acting on the polygonal end 3117) so as to obtain the desired movement of the whole of the housing 20 along the channel 20a.

This latter movement can be read on the vernier 310. The initial adjustments and the setting to zero of the verniers can be carried out by means of suitable calipers.

If the housing 20 has to be removed, for example in order to change the corresponding rollers 19, it is sufficient to remove the plates 32 from the structure 7 by removing the screws 32b, after which said housing can be withdrawn easily together with the sleeves 30, 31 and the pivot 33.

In order to adjust the section on the rolled bar, the assemblies 1, 2 and 3 are moved into a suitable zone on the bed 4 and the rolls 8, 9 and rollers 19 are substituted by other rolls and rollers with grooves suitably shaped. The substitution of the rolls 8 and 9 is facilitated by the fact that the box-like structures 7 are open to the from (FIG. 1, 3) and are provided there with easily removable covers. After substitution of the rolls and rollers, the distances between the shafts 10 and 11 and between the pivot 21 must be adjusted.

As can be seen the rolling mill according to the invention permits bars or wires of different shapes to be obtained directly at the outlet of the rolling mill itself, without requiring further phases of drawing or at least reducing them to a minimum. As visible from the drawings the rolling of the bar is made always on a portion of the outline thereof and not on the whole outline thereof.

The rolling mill according to the invention is particularly suitable for obtaining shaped bars of aluminum for cables with sector shaped cores, but obviously it can be furnished for producing bars in other materials or with different sections.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which enter into the field of the inventive concept. For example the rollers 19 may be disposed on the outlet side of the assemblies 1, 2 and 3 and the number of these assemblies can be increased to 5, 6 or more.

I claim:

1. A multiple housing rolling mill for obtaining shaped bars, comprising at least a first unit having working rolls arranged to roll a substantially round-shaped bar to a substantially triangular shape with rounded edges and slightly rounded sides, at least two further rolling units arranged downstream of said first rolling unit and each provided with a pair of guiding rolls arranged with substantially vertical axes and a pair of working rolls arranged with substantially horizontal axes downstream of said guiding rolls, said guiding rolls of the first of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture with the shape of said substantially triangular-shaped bar, said working rolls of the first of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining substantially a rounded portion and a V-like portion opposite thereto, thus rolling said triangular-shaped bar at opposite sides thereof at only a portion of its outline, said guiding rolls of the second of said further units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture for the bar with an at least partially rounded outline, thus rolling the bar at its edges, and said working rolls of the second of said further unit having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture having a rounded portion and a V-like portion opposite thereto to roll said bar at opposite sides at only a portion of its outline into a substantially sector-like cross section with rounded edges, and means for displacing and putting said guiding rolls into alignment with said passage apertures defined by said working rolls.

2. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein three of said further rolling units are provided, each having two guiding rolls and two working rolls with axes orthogonal thereto, the guiding rolls of the first two of said further units having peripheral grooves defining passage apertures at least partially surrounding said wire for guiding it and said guiding rolls of the third of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture provided with a rounded outline thereby to roll the bar at its edges, and said working rolls of said further unit having peripheral grooves defining passage apertures with progressively reduced section and an elongated substantially sector-like shape to roll said bar according to a sector-like transverse section at only a portion of its outline.

3. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein said means for displacing and putting said guiding rolls into alignment with said passage apertures of said working rolls comprise a housing for said rolls, guide slots into said housing arranged substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said working rolls, supporting pivots for said guiding rolls arranged into said slots, one of said supporting pivots being rigidly mounted into said guiding slots and the other of said supporting pivots being slidably mounted into said slots, a fork-like member carrying said other of said supporting pivots and slidable inside said slots, a threaded spindle member threaded into said housing and extending parallel to said slots and connected to said fork-like member, means for rotating said threaded spindle member thereby to cause said fork-like member to be displaced into said slots and to displace said other guiding roll with respect to said first guiding roll, and a threaded sleeve member threaded into said unit and connected to said housing for displacing said housing together with said guiding rolls substantially transverse to the rolling axis of the bar.

4. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim I, wherein said first rolling unit and said further rolling units are slidably mounted on said rolling mill and transversely displaceable with respect to the rolling axis of said units. 

1. A multiple housing rolling mill for obtaining shaped bars, comprising at least a first unit having working rolls arranged to roll a substantially round-shaped bar to a substantially triangular shape with rounded edges and slightly rounded sides, at least two further rolling units arranged downstream of said first rolling unit and each provided with a pair of guiding rolls arranged with substantially vertical axes and a pair of working rolls arranged with substantially horizontal axes downstream of said guiding rolls, said guiding rolls of the first of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture with the shape of said substantially triangularshaped bar, said working rolls of the first of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining substantially a rounded portion and a V-like portion opposite thereto, thus rolling said triangular-shaped bar at opposite sides thereof at only a portion of its outline, said guiding rolls of the second of said further units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture for the bar with an at least partially rounded outline, thus rolling the bar at its edges, and said working rolls of the second of said further unit having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture having a rounded portion and a V-like portion opposite thereto to roll said bar at opposite sides at only a portion of its outline into a substantially sector-like cross section with rounded edges, and means for displacing and putting said guiding rolls into alignment with said passage apertures defined by said working rolls.
 2. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein three of said further rolling units are provided, each having two guiding rolls and two working rolls with axes orthogonal thereto, the guiding rolls of the first two of said further units having peripheral grooves defining passage apertures at least partially surrounding said wire for guiding it and said guiding rolls of the third of said further rolling units having peripheral grooves defining a passage aperture provided with a rounded outline thereby to roll the bar at its edges, and said working rolls of said further unit having peripheral grooves defining passage apertures with progressively reduced section and an elongated substantially sector-like shape to roll said bar according to a sector-like transverse section at only a portion of its outline.
 3. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein said means for displacing and putting said guiding rolls into alignment with said passage apertures of said working rolls comprise a housing for said rolls, guide slots into said housing arranged substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said working rolls, supporting pivots for said guiding rolls arranged into said slots, one of said supporting pivots being rigidly mounted into said guiding slots and the other of said supporting pivots being slidably mounted into said slots, a fork-like member carrying said other of said supporting pivots and slidable inside said slots, a threaded spindle member threaded into said housing and extending parallel to said slots and connected to said fork-like member, means for rotating said threaded spindle member thereby to cause said fork-like member to be displaced into said slots and to displace said other guiding roll with respect to said first guiding roll, and a threaded sleeve member threaded into said unit and connected to said housing for displacing said housing together with said guiding rolls substantially transverse to the rolling axis of the bar.
 4. A multiple housing rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein said first rolling unit and said further rolling units are slidably mounted On said rolling mill and transversely displaceable with respect to the rolling axis of said units. 